Duluth Bargaining

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In: Advanced Practice Providers, Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org 

Duluth, MN – June 19, 2025 – Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) at Essentia Health are being forced to take unprecedented action. For nearly a year, 400 APPs—who include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, Certified Nurse Midwives, and clinical nurse specialists—have requested a seat at the bargaining table. Essentia Health has refused and instead responded with numerous illegal Unfair Labor Practices. 

As a result of these Unfair Labor Practices, Essentia’s East Market Advanced Practice Providers are now moving to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike vote. The vote will take place Monday, June 23rd.
… Read more about: Advanced Practice Providers at Essentia Health Move Toward ULP Strike Vote After Hospital Refuses to Bargain  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Home, Hospitals, Nurses, Press Releases, St. Lukes, Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

 

(Duluth, MN) – June 18, 2025 – In the final scheduled bargaining session before their contract expires, nurses at Aspirus St. Luke’s were met not with compromise, but with cuts. Instead of working toward solutions, hospital executives introduced an economic proposal loaded with rollbacks: limiting sick time, vacation, dental, and health coverage for two-thirds of acute care nurses. This also comes after weeks of Aspirus St. Luke’s criticizing nurses for failing to present their full economic proposal, despite not offering one of their own until now.
… Read more about: Aspirus Walks Away from Solutions, Pushes Concessions Instead of Care  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham

651-269-1418

Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

 

(Duluth, MN) – June 12, 2025 – Today, Minnesota nurses requested for a mediator to step in and help resolve contract negotiations with Essentia Health, following months of stonewalling and ongoing unfair labor practices that threaten patient safety. This rare step is to bring integrity back to the bargaining table. Nurses have also requested that Essentia withdraw all anti-union proposals put forth so far.

MNA’s request, delivered during the June 12 bargaining session today, reflects the union’s continued effort to reach a fair contract that prioritizes safe staffing levels and patient care.
… Read more about: MNA nurses request mediator as Essentia escalates anti-union tactics  »

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In: Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Informational Picket, Press Releases, Two Harbors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
(c) 651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – June 3, 2025 –  As Essentia nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association prepare for an informational picket tomorrow, they are also announcing the filing of an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Essentia for bad faith bargaining.

Over six months ago, Essentia’s Patient Flow nurses qualified for and won an armour-globe election, allowing them to join the existing MNA contract. Despite this, Essentia is erroneously and illegally demanding that these nurses should be a part of a different bargaining unit.

This is the first charge filed by MNA for the Essentia RN contract, but Essentia continues to be a serial violator of labor law.
… Read more about: Nurses announce Unfair Labor Practice charge against Essentia on eve of info picket   »

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In: Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Informational Picket, Press Releases, St. Lukes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
(c) 651-269-1418
shannon.cunningham@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul, MN) – May 22 – More than ​​2,600 Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Providers, clinic and hospice nurses in Duluth today announced their intent to hold an informational picket at ​​Essentia and Aspirus St. Luke’s on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, to demand urgent action to address the crisis of understaffing, unsafe conditions, and executive-driven decision-making that puts profits before patient care. The staffing crisis has grown so severe that, for the first year ever, Minnesota nurses ranked safe staffing above pay as an issue to address in negotiations this year.
… Read more about: Nurses plan to picket Duluth hospitals to demand action on staffing crisis  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth Bargaining, Home, Metro Bargaining, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – May 1, 2025 – Over 15,000 nurses in the Twin Cities and Duluth recently launched contract negotiations with one clear priority: improving staffing levels to ensure better care and safer hospitals.

Nurses are demanding action as hospitals continue to operate with unsafe staffing, compromising care and driving experienced nurses out of the profession. While hospital executives blame a “nurse shortage,” nurses know the truth: we have more licensed nurses than ever, but too many are unwilling to work in conditions created by corporate hospital leadership.
… Read more about: As bargaining continues, nurses share stories of ongoing crisis in Minnesota facilities.  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – April 23, 2025 – MNA nurses at Aspirus St. Luke’s launched contract bargaining today with the hospital, and are eager to address longstanding concerns around staffing levels and unsafe work conditions at the facility.

“MNA nurses appreciate the vision of Aspirus St. Luke’s which commits to patients, people and the community. Like Aspirus, MNA nurses have a guiding vision that is deeply rooted in patient care. Currently, the state of nursing in Minnesota is dire. The average number of adverse events is up in Minnesota hospitals, the cost of healthcare continues to rise, the number of nurses facing violence and injury is at an all-time high and nurses continue to flee the bedside due to unsafe conditions and staffing levels.
… Read more about: Aspirus St. Luke’s nurses launch bargaining, advocate for increased staffing to boost patient care and nurse safety  »

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In: Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Labor Unions, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – December 10, 2024 – Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) from Essentia’s East Market held a press conference on Monday evening at the Duluth Labor Temple to mark the one-year anniversary of their historic effort to secure union representation with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA).

Over the last year, the APPs have made significant strides in their organizing efforts, successfully forming their union and winning their election in July 2024. Despite the National Labor Relations Board’s certification of the vote, Essentia has repeatedly refused to recognize the union or come to the table to negotiate a contract in good faith.
… Read more about: Essentia East Market APPs honor union anniversary, call for return to bargaining table  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth Bargaining, Home, Metro Bargaining, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Staffing language will help ensure staffing levels do not get worse, give nurses a voice to advocate for safe patient care

Nurses will continue to fight to ensure safe staffing levels, oppose corporate healthcare in Minnesota

 

(St. Paul and Duluth) – December 14, 2022 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at 15 hospitals in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports voted overwhelmingly to ratify new three-year contracts which include new language to address short-staffing by executives in our hospitals.
… Read more about: 15,000 nurses ratify contracts to address short staffing and retain nurses at the bedside, continue fight to put Patients Before Profits    »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth Bargaining, Home, Metro Bargaining, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

 

(St. Paul) – December 13, 2022 – At 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, December 14, 2022, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association will respond to the results of ratification votes by 15,000 nurses in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports on the tentative agreements for new three-year contracts reached last week.

Voting on contract ratification has been taking place this past Friday, yesterday, and today. Results will be shared at the Wednesday press conference where nurses will discuss next steps in the fight to put Patients Before Profits; details are included below.
… Read more about: TOMORROW: Nurses hold media availability on contract vote results and next steps  »